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New York man sentenced to more than 24 years for violent sex trafficking

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A man from Jamaica, Queens, New York, was sentenced Friday to 294 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for operating a sex trafficking ring using violence, force, and threats to victimize multiple women and girls. The sentencing followed an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington.

Taleek Sherrod Swinney, also known as "Kash da Pimp," 26, was also ordered to pay to the victims more than $500,000 in restitution. Swinney pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking on Nov. 4 for prostituting women since 2006. He started in New York City, but later trafficked women and girls for sex in multiple states along the East Coast from Connecticut to Florida, including in Virginia, Maryland and Washington.

As part of his operation, Swinney used the website Backpage.com to advertise the women and obtain commercial sex customers. At least one of his victims was a juvenile when Swinney began prostituting her. Swinney required the women he prostituted to give him all of the money that they earned. Swinney frequently set a quota for the women, and those who failed to meet the quota were not allowed to eat.

"This sentencing marks the end of a life of misery inflicted on the victims of Swinney’s heinous sex trafficking operation. Swinney will be held accountable for his victimization and exploitation of these vulnerable women," said Scot R. Rittenberg, acting special agent in charge, HSI Washington.

Swinney’s violence included beating one of his victims almost daily. On one occasion, Swinney used a metal rod to beat this victim, stopped to film the victim naked and bleeding, and then continued beating her. During this beating, Swinney fractured the victim’s nose and jaw. He later showed this video to other pimps, including a co-conspirator known as "Prince Charming."

Swinney often would beat victims in the presence of the other women that he was prostituting as a means of instilling fear. In one instance, Swinney lacerated a victim’s face and ear with a box cutter. When another victim became pregnant, Swinney forced the woman to obtain an abortion.

In another instance, one of Swinney’s victims refused to get out of his vehicle and walk the streets to obtain customers, Swinney threw her out of the moving vehicle. Later, when Swinney found out that one of the victims was cooperating with the government, he threatened her and her family with violence.

HSI New York, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, assisted in the investigation.

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